The Princess and The Player
by Rainbowmnms
Summary: Lucy is the princess of her school, popular, pretty, and smart. Boys can only admire her from afar, (unless you count Gray, her childhood friend). One day, their class gets a new transfer student: Natsu Dragneel. He immediately takes an interest in Lucy: the only girl in the whole school who could turn him down so blatantly. Nalu Jerza Gale Gralu/Gruvia AU!
1. Hi, I'm An Impossible Idiot

**So this is The Princess and The Player. I want you to like it...not sure if you will or not. The next update is not determined for a set date, (if I _do _update, that is), but I hope you enjoy what I've done. :)**

* * *

_~Lucy~_

"You worry too much, Luce," Gray said as he slipped his feet into his boots. He looked up at me from where he sat and I frowned in return.

"I'm not worrying," I replied. He stood up. When did he get so much taller than me? It made me frown again.

"Yes, you most definitely are. You've worried ever since we were kids," he said, smiling. He put a hand on my head and I huffed indignantly, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Fine, I'm worrying. But, who wouldn't worry about—" Gray had given me the look that always made me shut up. His eyes narrowed and his lips narrowed into a thin line. _Stop talking, Lucy_, is what it meant.

He sighed and shook his head, "She isn't going to leave you just because she got a boyfriend." My face flushed. Is that what I was worried about?

"I'm just worried about her? What if he dumps her? What if he breaks her heart?" I 's bad. I was speaking in questions; my self-doubt was beginning to show.

Gray put his hands on either of my shoulders and looked me in the eye. I froze. He always knew what I was thinking, always had. What was I doing trying to deceive him? Or maybe I was just trying to deceive myself…

"Do you trust Levy?" Gray asked me. I blinked. I nodded. "Then don't worry. She can take care of herself. She's not a kid, despite how short she is." I giggled. He smiled and nodded, "You look a lot better when you're smiling."

"But he _does _look like a ruffian," I said, tapping my lips.

"An especially dangerous ruffian is more accurate," Gray said, "But who knows? He could be a good guy. Don't judge a book—"

"By its cover!" I said and then grabbed my shoes.

"Why do you always do that?" he demanded, crouching beside me as I tugged on my shoes.

"Because I think—"

"It's fun finishing my sentences!" he shot back. I stood and elbowed him in the arm.

"Somehow I knew you were going to do that," I mumbled, yanking my door open.

"Being together for seventeen years tends to have that effect," Gray pointed out.

"Last time I checked, I didn't have any telepathic tendencies," I drawled as Gray shut the door behind us.

"That would be awesome, though," he said. I could practically see sparkles emanating from him. "Imagine it, though!"

"You're such a boy," I said and turned, "Come on, we'll be late for school!"

"We can't have that!"

"Your sarcasm is not appreciated."

"You worry more about your timeliness than your life."

"That's not true!"

"I'm not blaming you, though. You _are _the princess, after all." Ah, that nickname again. People always called me the princess of our high school. I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it, either. The way I looked at it, I _had _to be that way. That's how I'd been raised. When I was younger and I brought home a B-, my dad was furious. He'd shouted, _what is this embarrassment?_

I didn't want to be an embarrassment, so I tried hard. I tried so, so hard. It was a lot of work, but I had to do it. I took care of my appearance and my grades, made as many friends as possible. Somehow I'd always felt like something was missing, but I didn't pay much mind to it. Nothing had been the same after mom died, but I wasn't going to let it get to me. I had to try my hardest, remember?

"Stop it, Luce," said a gentle voice, "I'm sorry." I looked up and saw Gray looking at me with concern in his eyes.

I nodded, "Mm-hm." Gray was the only one who knew the truth about me, that I was far less than perfect. He had always been there for me, even when my dad disapproved of him so vehemently.

"It's not your fault," I said, perking up with a little bit of effort.

"I hate how you force yourself like that," he said. I nudged his arm with my shoulder and dragged him along by his wrist.

"Don't," was all I said.

* * *

I could see little hearts floating around Levy, spinning around her and dancing jollily. I tentatively walked towards her, "Uh, Levy?"

She looked up and tucked her phone away, "Lucy!" She launched towards me and wrapped her tiny arms around me.

"You seem…happy," I said anxiously.

"I'm that happiest I've ever been in my life!" she squeaked. I peeled her off of me and switched out my shoes.

"I'm guessing this is because of Gajeel, yes?" I asked. The number of hearts multiplied exponentially.

"He's so cute!" she said, sighing and leaning against the wall for support. I glanced at Gray behind me and he shot me a warning look: _don't say it, Lucy_. Hmm, maybe I was clairvoyant.

I wanted to ask her in what way was Gajeel cute? If I were to describe him I'd call him terrifying? Intimidating? Grumpy? Gray was right, though. Levy loved him, so I'd have to like him as well. He was automatically admitted into our circle.

"I'm happy for you, Lev," I said with a forced smile. It seemed that all she talked about was Gajeel. I wondered if everyone in love was like that. I wouldn't have known. I'd never loved anyone like that before. I'd never kissed anyone before, for that matter. I don't consider that time with Gray when we were five a real kiss.

Levy grabbed my arm, suddenly serious, "You need to get a boyfriend, Lucy. Your life is so boring! Start living!"

"Lev, come on!" I said, my go to response for when anyone said that to me.

"I know, I know. You're the princess, you can't have a boyfriend otherwise all the other boys—and probably some girls—would be jealous of him. I still think you need one!" She winked at me.

I flushed, "If I didn't know better I would think you were trying to find a boyfriend for yourself. Seriously, the level of determination you've displayed has been awe inspiring."

"How about Gray! He doesn't have a girlfriend! And he's so handsome!" Levy offered.

"I'm right here, you know," he said as he followed behind us. I latched onto his arm and he raised a brow, "Uh."

"I really appreciate it, Levy, but he's pretty much my brother," I said with a smile. We rounded the corner and Levy froze. She turned around immediately her face bright red. I spotted what she had seen only a few seconds later. Gajeel was leaning against the wall, his hands tucked in his pockets and his piercings shining in the light. He looked angrier than usual.

"Who's handsome?" he growled. Uh oh. Had he been standing there the whole time? Levy looked horrified. I grabbed her shoulders, spun her around, and pushed her towards her boyfriend. He caught her and glared at me.

"I'm sorry!" she said. She clung to him tightly, her tiny arms barely reaching around his chest. His face turned pink and he hesitated.

"I'll see you, Levy," I said with a giggle. I'd never seen Gajeel blush before. It was sort of comical. Maybe…just _maybe_, he wasn't that bad. Seeing him like that didn't completely change my opinion of him, though. We walked past them and I caught Levy mouthing me a silent _thank you_. I winked at her and looked up at Gajeel. I stared at him for a moment and he looked nervous under my glare. He fidgeted. I smiled. He was definitely getting closer to being 'not that bad.' That didn't mean that I wasn't going to keep an eye on him. Levy was my friend, and I'd be there for her no matter what.

As we rounded the next corner, Gray nudged me, "Behind all those piercings and glares, he's really just a softy, isn't he?"

I laughed, "You think so? I was started to suspect that."

He grinned, "You're not worrying about it anymore, right?"

"Somehow I'm not...completely."

"Good."

* * *

The class was almost full. We'd arrived later than usual, so that made sense. Normally, there would only be a few people there. "Hey guys, Lucy's here!" Cana called to the others. She sauntered up to me. "Look! I'm here!" she said proudly.

I smiled, "Thanks." I'd asked Cana to show up to class more often. She usually ditched class in favor of less than admirable activities, which usually involved alcohol. I wouldn't report that to Mr. Dreyar, though, (especially because I suspected that his activities outside of class were not of a different color).

"Lucy, there's a student council meeting at lunch today. Sorry, Gray, I've got to steal her from you again," Erza said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"I'll just have to eat with—"

"Shouldn't you be more concerned about yourself? That means you won't be able to eat with me," Jellal said, draping his arms over her shoulders.

"I'm not worried," Erza said. Jellal frowned.

"That's not what I wanted you to say, but I still love you," he said with a sigh, "Sometimes its tough being your boyfriend."

Erza smiled, "I wonder how you manage it. They started off together and then she froze and turned. She pointed at me, her eyes serious, "Lunch. Remember." I nodded and waved them off.

"I feel like the number of warm fuzzies in our class has increased since before break," I mumbled.

Gray and I took our seats. As I pulled out my notebook, he said, "You sound jealous."

"Am not," I said. I was being honest, too. I didn't need something like a boyfriend slowing me down. Love wasn't a distraction that I was asking for. "Besides, there's no one I even like. I'm going to wait until I meet someone who is just as responsible as me and who won't keep me from the success that I intend to achieve."

Gray was quiet. I looked at him. "What?" I asked.

Gray sighed, "That's a high order."

"But its not impossible," I said, nodding, "When I meet him, I'll make sure to do something about that."

"What if you meet someone who doesn't fit those criteria, but you still love him?" Gray asked.

"That won't happen," I said quickly.

Gray laughed, "Whatever you say, Luce. I'm just saying, maybe you've already met hi—"

The door slammed open. "Natsu, careful!" scolded Mr. Dreyar. I was used to his stern voice, but he seemed particularly exhausted today. I looked away from Gray and saw something I didn't expect. Standing at the front of the classroom was a boy. I'd never seen him before, which was strange because I'd talked to most everyone in the school, (not including those who were too afraid to approach me). He must have been a transfer student. I stared at him.

He had a strong, yet slim build, (not to mention the fact that he was notably tall). He had a handsome face, I suppose. I wasn't exactly the person to ask, though. I'd never been good at judging those things. I did notice that his eyes were striking, definitely full of life. They also had a sort of mischievousness about them, though. His egotistical smirk also held that mischievous air. What worried me most about him, however, was the bright pink hair. It had to be dyed, (hair doesn't come in that color naturally)! The last thing we needed in this school was another rebellious student. I sighed.

"Quiet down! Get to your seats!" Mr. Dreyar called. I was already in my seat, so I barely even heard his words. I turned to Gray.

I cupped a hand over my mouth so that my words would be better concealed, "This looks like trouble."

"Definitely dyed. There's no way that's normal," he whispered back.

"I'd like to introduce our newest student to you. This is Natsu Dragneel. Treat him nicely. Make friends. That's what our school is all about!" Mr. Dreyar said enthusiastically. I smiled. His effervescent cheerfulness was always infectious. With that he stepped to the side and left the floor to Natsu. Our newest classmate stood tall and scanned the room, his eyes flitting over us. _God, just get this over with._ We only had a limited amount of class time and I was worried about an upcoming essay. I wanted to ask Mr. Dreyar about it, but I couldn't if this Natsu kid was standing up there like an idiot.

I couldn't help it. I found myself glaring at him. I didn't bother stopping; it wasn't like he cared. Suddenly, Natsu's eyes locked with mine. I maintained eye contact. I wasn't about to look away like a flustered little girl. This kid meant trouble, dyed hair and all. Stepping down wasn't an option. He kept staring at me and then the corners of his mouth twisted upwards.

"My name is Natsu Dragneel," he started, still staring at me. You wouldn't believe what he did next. He pointed directly at me. "And I'm going to date that girl."

I clenched my fists. Anger boiled inside of me. Everyone was staring at me, completely silent. Mr. Dreyar cleared his throat awkwardly. Way to start out the new semester. He'd practically said, "Hi, my name's Natsu and I'm an impossible idiot."

"No," I said immediately, not wasting a second. He blinked, lowering his arm.

"Huh?" he asked, clearly confused.

"I said no," I repeated, "I'm not interested." Gray nudged my arm reassuringly. I winked at my best friend. He grinned, "Nice one."

"You can't have Lucy!" someone shouted. I looked around to see who it was, but he'd obviously avoided my detection intentionally.

"Yeah, she's _everyone's _Lucy!" yelled another guy on the other side of the classroom. I flushed.

"I don't know if that's a good or bad thing," I whispered under my breath. The class was now in an uproar. All the guys were yelling out, saying that he couldn't date me for this reason or that reason. All the girls were whining, complaining that _they _wanted to date Natsu. Was he really so handsome that everyone wanted him? The were complete strangers, and yet… _That can't be real love, right?_

He casually strode up to me, completely relaxed even in such a ruckus. He leaned against my desk and smiled down at me. It was that same, self-endowing smile that really rubbed me in the wrong direction. I'd never liked people who thought they were better than everyone else. I know that may sound hypocritical in your eyes, but its not. I never considered myself better than others. I never really wanted to be better, I had to be. I didn't wield my good grades against others, rubbing them in their faces. I'd never, ever do that. The only one I wanted to know I was doing well was my father, but that was for completely different reasons.

"Believe it or not, you will fall for me," he said cockily, "Everyone eventually does."

"Not me," I said coolly, leaning back in my chair.

He leaned even closer and I tensed. A fist slammed onto the desk between us.

"Back of, Bastard," Gray growled. Natsu and Gray had a lengthy glaring contest before Natsu eased backwards.

"I didn't know you had a boyfriend," he said, raising his hands.

"He's not my boyfriend," I said promptly. Natsu raised a brow and then understanding flashed in his eyes.

"Oh, so that's how it is," he said, nodding his head. He took the empty seat behind me, (which I, by the way, was fervently opposed to).

"Shut your face," Gray spat. I touched his shoulder and he looked at me.

"Calm down. It's not big deal," I said quietly. He nodded, clearly still annoyed. I was grateful for the protection he was lending me, though. It wasn't that I couldn't protect myself. I just always felt better when Gray was around.

"Well, now that _that's _over, can we begin?" Mr. Dreyar asked, obviously a bit annoyed.

"Yes," droned the class. The boys kept glancing at me and the girls kept glancing at Natsu. It was honestly a bit aggravating. I didn't need this attention, but it wasn't like I could avoid it now. Natsu was an attention hog, and he was practically hanging off of me now.

He tapped my shoulder and I swatted his hand away. A few seconds later, there was another tap. I whirled around, "Cut it out!"

"Are you serious about that 'no'?" he asked. Seeing him this close was different than it had been from farther away. His eyes seemed to almost glow in the light and I could see determination there. Almost as soon as his question was out, his eyes regained that playful look. I frowned.

"Stay away from me," I said under my breath.

"No can do," he said, stretching out each syllable.

"I will never date a player like you," I said. Yeah, he'd give up with that.

"That's the best insult you can come up with? Oh, also, I'm not a player," he said.

"_Sure _you're not," I said sarcastically.

"I'm not."

"Stop talking to me."

"No can do."

"Stop."

He smiled, "You're really fun."

I frowned and turned away from him. "Ms. Heartfilia, would you see me after class. You too, Mr. Dragneel."

I stood up immediately, "For what?" My voice sounded frantic.

"Calm down, you needn't worry." Somehow that didn't comfort me at all. I guess worrying was among the things I was best at doing. I sat down slowly, "Yes, sir."

"What's wrong, Princess? Never been in trouble before?" he asked, prodding me for a reaction.

"Don't call me that!" I hissed. For some reason, this was the one person I couldn't _stand _calling me princess. It pissed me off, and I didn't get pissed off easily. Somehow, this guy just angered me. More than anyone else, I knew this person was going to continue getting on my nerves.

* * *

**Leave me a review if you like. I'd definitely like to know what you think. This is my first AU story, (sort of...hard to explain), so I wasn't sure. Thanks for reading. **


	2. Lady Pains?

**Hey, guys! Fair warning to all people who don't have anything against Lisanna like I do, (I really hate her for no particular reason): I sort of made her into a horrible person. Sorry! I sort of figured that it'd be ok in this story because it's, in fact, a NALU STORY! Yay! Go NaLu! Ok, now that ****_that's _****out of the way, onto the next thing! Due to the many requests for me to continue this story...whelp, I did. :) Yay! Ok, now read on!**

* * *

_~Lucy~_

Class was almost over and I was seriously starting to sweat. Mr. Dreyar had asked me to meet with him after class...along with _that guy_. I glanced at him covertly. His head was slumped against his chest and a textbook was strategically positioned in front of him so that his slumber wouldn't be interrupted by Mr. Dreyar's usual routine, (by 'routine' I mean whapping the sleeping student's head with a heavy textbook to wake them up). I had to admit that it was a clever strategy, but it didn't make him any less annoying. I just wanted to raise my hand and rat him out, but I'm pretty sure a lot of the girls in class would hunt me down outside of the classroom and skewer me in a variety of painful ways. I didn't even _want _to think about that.

I really had no idea how all the girls managed to instantaneously fall in love with him just because of his appearance. I couldn't understand that. Sure, I had to admit that he didn't look _bad_. Actually, he looked pretty good. Just glancing at him, his annoying head hiding behind the algebra textbook, I could tell why the girls liked him. Still, that didn't mean they had to love him. My father had told me, however, that a person's appearance has a large influence on how other people see them. That's the only reason I really paid attention to my own appearance: because my father thought it necessary.

"Miss Heartfilia," asked an expectant voice. I looked up to see Mr. Dreyar leaning on my desk.

I blinked and, when realization sunk in, my heart started to race. He'd just asked me a question...and I had no idea what it was. I glanced up at him nervously and summoned my courage, "I'm sorry, could you repeat the question?" There was a dead silence that followed my words, but I swear I heard a gasp. An actual _gasp_. What? Had I never not known the answer to a question? This day was seriously not going my way.

"I'd like you to go up to the board and solve the question I've written there, _please_," said Mr. Dreyar. He was looking at me suspiciously, but he also seemed a bit concerned. I looked at the board and realized something dreadful: I hadn't a clue how to solve the algebra problem. I clenched my hands into fists. This was _bad_. I was about to give up, to admit my defeat, when Gray spoke up.

"Mr. Dreyar, Lucy said that she wasn't feeling too well this morning, but she was still determined to go to school. I think it might be a good idea to let her go to the nurse's for a while," Gray said. I could tell that he was rushing his words in a desperate attempt to save me. He knew just as well as I did what my dad would say to me if he found out about this...about me slacking for an entire class.

Mr. Dreyar immediately backed off and nodded, "Of course. I'm sorry to pressure you. Go rest a bit." I let out a sigh of relief and released my clenched fists. The benefits of a spotless record include having your teachers trust you more than other students.

"I'll take her!" said an enthusiastic voice. I gulped and turned to see Natsu with his hand stretched high in the air. He grinned at me and I glared at him, biting my lip. _Please no, Mr. Dreyar! Say no!_

"I think it would be better for Mr. Fullbuster to go since you're new to the class. You need to stay here until the end. Be back quickly, please," said Mr. Dreyar, returning to the front of the class. I stood up and pushed my chair back in. Honestly, at this point, I _was _feeling a little queasy. Gray stood up and gently put a hand on my back; he smiled and led me outside. I caught sight of Natsu, who was looking particularly put out as I passed him.

I leaned against the wall as soon as we got outside, "I think I just died a little on the inside."

Gray stood next to me and nodded, "That was a seriously horrible class, huh?"

I took a deep breath, "I don't really remember a lot of it. I think all that algebra went in one ear and out the other."

"Any particular reason why?" he asked. I looked at him, momentarily puzzled by his question. Wait, why had I not paid as much attention this class? What had I even been doing that entire time?

"I'm not sure."

His brow furrowed, "Are you alright? You're not _actually _sick, are you?" He put a hand to my forehead, but I slapped it away.

"I'm not sick," I said, confident that I was telling the truth. I didn't feel sick...just a bit sleepy.

Gray slowly nodded and started walking down the hallway, "Come on. We should at least go to the nurse's. I don't want to become a _complete _liar."

I smiled and jogged to catch up with him, "Ok, but you did lie; I'm not saying I'm not grateful, though."

"That was a really pathetic thank you," he pointed out, nudging my arm with his elbow. I nudged him back.

"Thank you for helping me," I said.

He nodded like it was no big deal, but he'd seriously saved my butt back there, "But really...why couldn't you answer that?"

I sighed, "Just drop it, please? I'm really not in the mood for trying to explain myself. If my dad catches wind of this, I'll have more than enough explaining to do...enough to last me an entire year."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I lied for you," he said as we turned the corner. We were almost to the infirmary now, so I stopped walking; I wanted to talk with Gray a little longer. He stopped and raised an eyebrow, "What's up?"

I hugged myself and looked up at him, tapping the toe of my shoe against the floor, "You should try not to talk to that guy."

Gray let out a tiny chuckle, "Why's that?"

"He's bad news; a _total _player. He's not really friend material," I said nervously. I wasn't quite sure why I was nervous, though.

"You don't want me to talk to him because you don't like him? What are you trying to do? Protect me from him?" he asked, looking amused. As usual, Gray knew exactly what I was thinking.

I stopped tapping my foot immediately and gaped at him, "I never sai-"

Gray folded his arms behind his head, "Well, I wasn't going to talk to him anyway, but I'm happy."

I was pretty stunned, "Why are you happy? Wouldn't most guys take that as an insult?"

He just smiled and opened the door to the infirmary, "I'm not most guys, am I?" I stared up at him for a moment; well, one thing was for sure...he was _definitely _not 'most guys.'

"Um, excuse me," interrupted a small voice. I turned to see a girl standing on the other side of the entrance to the nurse's office. I recognized her immediately: Juvia Lockser. I'd talked with her a few times, not really about anything significant. It was the usual 'do you remember what we have assigned for this class' or 'what time is it' discussions. I didn't really know her that well.

"Hi, Juvia," I said cheerfully, (maybe a little too cheerfully for someone who was about to take a nap in the infirmary).

Juvia nodded awkwardly, "I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation, but can I get through?"

I hesitated a moment before I realized that Gray and I were blocking the entire door. Oh no, how long had she been standing there listening to us? I immediately shot out of her way so that she could pass. She paused in front of us and nodded to Gray. "Hi, Gray," she said. I couldn't help but notice that her voice was a bit smaller when talking to him than it had been with me. She immediately went down the hallway and disappeared the same way she'd come.

"That was weird," he said, staring in the direction she'd gone.

I nodded, "She's a freshman."

"Really? Have I met her before?" he asked, scratching the back of his neck.

"Yeah, you don't remember?"

"She must've not left much of an impression," he said. He then looked back to me and shoved me into the infirmary, "Sleep well, sick girl. I'll come see you later...that is, if you're feeling up to the next period. Just tell her you have 'lady pains.'"

I let out a fake laugh, "You suck, Gray."

"Hey, I'm just trying to help," he said. He took off laughing down the hallway. _Jerk_, I thought as I headed into the infirmary. Mrs. Porlyusica was sitting at her desk, scratching at some papers with her expensive-looking pen.

"Um, hello?" I said. I could practically hear my voice echoing in there. I'd always disliked the nurse's. The disinfectant smell reminded me of the days I spent in the hospital when my mom was sick. Still, if it meant not jeapordizing my grades, I could tough it out no problem.

Mrs. Porlyusica swiveled around in her chair to look at me. She tipped her nose down and peered at me over her glasses, which were precariously perched at the end of her nose. She pushed them up with her middle finger after looking at me for a moment and said, "You don't have a fever and you don't seem nauseous. Why are you here?" I stared at her before she crossed her arms and started to look annoyed. I spoke immediately.

"You can tell all that by looking at me?" I asked.

She waited and then sighed, "Your point?" Wow. For a school nurse, she really wasn't a nice lady.

"Um, no point. I've got cramps," I said quickly. God, I could practically see Gray cracking up right now. I really wish I hadn't used his excuse, but after being put on the spot, I couldn't think of anything better to say.

"Right," she said a bit skeptically and gestured to the bed, "Lay down there. You'll have to go once the bell rings, though." I immediately headed towards the bed. I hadn't realized how exhausted I was until my head hit the pillow. Man, it felt great. I let all of the muscles I hadn't realized were tensed relax and shut my eyes. For a brief, heavenly moment, I forgot all my troubles.

* * *

_~Natsu~_

This class was _boring_. In fact, it was so boring that I repetitively wrote that word in my notebook. My hand was practically falling off at that point. I'd filled up three pages with the word 'boring' over and over again...and my handwriting isn't even that big. I'd only started after that queen bee left, and I'd still managed to write this much. _Boring_.

"Mr. Dragneel, would you care to answer this question?" asked the balding teacher-guy. I looked up from my mild entertainment to see the algebra question on the board. It was an easy one. I could remember a question that was almost exactly like this one _and _how to solve it. I stood up and walked up to the white board. I grinned as an idea popped into my head. Grades had never been my priority. What _was _my priority? Fun.

I scrawled 'BORING' in huge letters on the board and plopped back down at my desk. I chewed on the eraser of my pencil and smiled as the teacher's face lit up bright red. "Mr, Dragneel!" he shouted, "Detention! It's about time that someone taught you a lesson!"

Yeah, right...like I'd never been in detention before. This wasn't the first time a new teacher at a new school thought they could 'teach me a lesson.' It was getting repetitive at this point. Sometimes I wondered why I even bothered with...everything. I nodded, "Yes, Sir." Detention again. Whatever.

Class ended a little while after that, (finally!), and I found myself wondering where the princess went. Out of all the girls in the class, she was the only one who didn't look away when I stared at them. On top of that, she turned me down. I can't really remember the last time that happened to me...or if that's _ever_ happened to me. She was nothing but interesting so far, not to mention she was _hot_. I mean, _really _hot.

I stepped out of the classroom and was immediately surrounded by a flurry of gossip. I could hear them talking; they weren't even bothering to keep quiet. _He has no right to say something like that. Who does he think he is? I don't care about that, I think he's smoking! _I grinned at that one. I followed the source of the gossip and found a cute girl. She had short hair and a nice body; she was no Lucy Heartfilia, but she was something to tide me over. I started walking towards her, but was interrupted halfway there.

"Hey, man. Some show you put on up there," said the guy who stepped in front of me.

"Uh," I said, more than a little surprised that this guy was talking to me. Most of the time, guys tended to steer clear of me. I didn't blame them, either.

"Name's Happy," he said, sticking his hand out. I didn't take it. It awkwardly dropped to his side and I felt a little bad.

"Happy?" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah, Happy. It's a nickname, though. My real name's a secret," he said, nodding.

"Why do they call you Happy?" I asked, looking past his shoulder at the girl behind him.

"You know, I don't really know. Ask someone else. They might be able to tell you," he said, stroking his chin as he pondered the origin of his weird nickname. "So I wanted to ask you, did you dye your hair like that?"

I stared at him, "Seriously?" This guy had to be some sort of stupid to not know I'd dyed it.

"Yeah," he said, "I mean, it's awesome."

I noticed for the first time as he complimented me that he himself had a streak of blue in his otherwise dark black hair. I smirked, "Thanks. I guess you know my name by now."

"Yeah, it's pretty much already spread through the whole school," he said.

"Well, fair warning, buddy: if you hang around me you won't make any friends," I said. It was the honest truth, not that I cared about this guy's social prowess.

"That's alright. I don't really have any friends anyway," he said happily. Man, this guy was weird. Why was he so happy when he didn't have any friends? Well, maybe I knew why they called him Happy now.

"Alright, whatever. Mind telling me that girl's name?" I asked, pointing to the cute girl I had my eye on.

"That's Lisanna Strauss. She's in class 2-B. I'm pretty sure she's gone through three boyfriends in the past month, but that's just a rumour. She doesn't exactly have a stellar reputation," Happy said.

I patted his arm, "Thanks. I'll see you around, then." It was weird talking to a guy like we were friends. Who knows? Maybe we could end up actually being just that: friends. I glanced back at the guy, but he was already gone. His semi-scrawny figure was no where in sight, nor was his blue streak. Yeah, definitely weird.

I ran my fingers through my hair and turned to see this Lisanna. I walked towards her and leaned against the wall next to her. Her eyes went wide for a moment before she narrowed them, "What are you doing?"

"Standing," I replied.

"Why are you doing it so close to me?" she asked. She sounded sassy, but I could see the spark in her eyes that told me my proximity was starting to affect her. She was clearly into me already...not that it was surprising or anything.

"Good question. How about you-" I began, but the words died in my mouth when I glanced past her shoulder. The Princess, Lucy, was staring at me, looking really annoyed. She rolled her eyes and strutted past me, flicking her hair over her shoulder. I watched her as she shot me a sideways glance and headed into the classroom, slamming the door behind her. The entire hallway was completely quiet. Well, that was surprising. I turned away from Lisanna immediately and reached for the door.

"Hey!" Lisanna protested. She grabbed my arm and pulled. I sighed and looked back to her.

"I really hate clingy girls, ok?" I said, tired of her already. I honestly just wanted to get back into that classroom, and denying a potential hook-up was worth it at that moment. It didn't even occur to me that I might regret it later.

"What?" she asked as I shrugged her off and slid the door open. Apparently, she'd never been shut down before. I stepped inside and shut it, tons of surprised faces disappearing behind the sliding door.

"How nice of you to join us," said a stern voice. I tensed and slowly turned around. Both Lucy and Mr. Dreyar were glaring at me. I was a little more worried about Lucy's angry stare than Mr. Dreyar's, though. She looked like she was about to pick up one of the desks and hurl it at me. She was actually pretty intimidating for such a small, harmless-looking person. I bet the only thing holding her back was the possibility that she might break a nail if she chucked the desk at my face. I smiled at her.

"Wow, what a welcoming atmosphere," I said, sending a wink her way.

"Be quiet, jerk," she grumbled, turning up her nose.

"Hey, where's your little underling?" I asked.

"What are you _talking _about?" she asked.

"What's his name? That guy who's 'not your boyfriend.'"

"Gray is not my underling! He's my best friend! Jeez, has anyone ever taught you any manners?" she demanded.

"Not really, no," I said. She fell silent and narrowed her eyes, trying to understand the meaning of what I just said.

"Please stop arguing now. Are you feeling better, Ms. Heartfilia?" Mr. Dreyar asked. I sighed and crossed my arms.

"Yes, thank you. It really wasn't much," she replied. She really was a lot nicer when she wasn't talking to me.

"Well, it was enough to throw you off your game in my class, and that's enough to worry me. You are my star student, after all," he said.

"Of course," she said with a cute smile. I had a growing suspicion that this sweet girl attitude was all a farce.

"I'm glad to hear you're alright. Now, onto business," Mr. Dreyar said. Business? What business? "I believe you remember me asking you two to see me after class? Well, I've something to tell you two." He paused for a moment.

"What is it, Mr. Dreyar?" Lucy asked curiously. I honestly didn't care enough to ask him what the heck he was blabbing about.

"I'll just come out with it: Lucy, you've been chosen to tutor Natsu," he said. I blinked and then smirked, immediately switching my attention back to the conversation. I turned to her. She was pale and her mouth was wide open.

"I-I really don't think that's-" she began.

"There's nothing I can do. I know you've got your hands full already, but you're our top student. You were the best choice," he said, raising his hands in defense.

Lucy groaned. "Wow, real nice," I quipped.

"I'll be nice to you when you deserve it," she snapped. Ouch. She was really pissed at me. It didn't really bother me, though. I was satisfied enough having her as my tutor. This was going to be fun.

"Not starting today, though, because _someone _got himself a detention," Mr. Dreyar said. Oh yeah, I forgot about that. It's weird. I was actually regretting that now.

"How long do I have to do this?" Lucy asked.

"Not long. I'll fill you in on more information later," he replied, "But I just wanted to give you a fair warning."

She nodded solemnly, "Alright. May I go now?" Mr. Dreyar nodded and Lucy didn't even look my way as she dragged her feet out of the room. I smiled as her blond hair disappeared behind the door. I turned back to Mr. Dreyar.

He frowned and fiddled with his mustache. For some reason I felt really good, so all I said was, "So, how about my detention, then?"

* * *

**I'm pretty sure things are going pretty well with this story, (surprisingly), so I'll definitely continue it! I still want to get your reviews though...like always. Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it! :)**


	3. Pest Repellant!

**If you like the chapter, just like always, I'd really like a little R&R. Spare a review?**

* * *

_~Lucy~_

"Pick up, Gray. Pick up, Gray. Pick up, GRAY!" I said as my phone relentlessly beeped. This was the third time I'd called him and he _still _hadn't answered yet. I was starting to panic. What if he'd tripped and hit his head on a rock and was now lying dead in a ditch somewhere? No. Lucy, stop worrying. He's not dead. His phone just ran out of battery. Yeah, that was it.

Click. "Lucy? Has that been you the whole time?"

"You idiot!" I yelled. A few kids in the hallway looked around, but it was so crowded that they couldn't find the source of the shout. It'd have been bad if they had seen my outbreak.

"Whoa. Calm down. Why are you yelling at me?"

"This is the third time I've called you, jerk," I said, slumping against the wall.

"Uh...sorry. I was buying food," he replied, "Speaking of which, you want anything? I'm coming to your house later. Sorry, but you'll have to smuggle me past your dad again."

"He's not going to be home for a while. I'm not hungry. Wait, so I take second priority to food?"

"No?"

"Liar!"

"Ok, yeah. But, seriously...you can't blame me."

"...good point."

"I gotta go. I'll bring you something anyway. See ya' later," he said.

"WAIT!"  
"Jeez. Stop yelling."

"I have something to tell you. Something really, _really _horrible."

"Ok. Tell me when I jump through your window later." Click. _Gray, I'm going to __kill_ _you when you 'jump through my window later.'_

I growled and snapped my phone shut. I crossed my arms over my chest and shook my head. "Lucy? You look...scary."

I looked up and saw Levy staring at me, tilting her head to the side. I whimpered and immediately latched onto her, "Leevvyyyyy!"

"What's wrong?" she asked, patting my head, (of course, she had to reach up to manage such a feat).

"I'm doomed," I mumbled into her hair.

"Why's that?" asked a deep voice. I looked up and saw Gajeel looming over me. I narrowed my eyes and stood up, still holding Levy's head.

"Do you actually care?" I asked him.

"Mmhm. Curious."

"Fine, I'll tell you. I have to _tutor _someone."

"_And_?" he asked.

I frowned, "That's the worst part. The person I have to tutor is _Natsu Dragneel_!"

Gajeel laughed, (or at least I _think _that was a laugh), and nodded, "Now I get why you look like you're about to either start crying or murder someone."

"Right!" I whined.

"What's so bad about Natsu?" Levy asked, her voice muffled by my chest; that's about where her head level was.

"Everything," Gajeel and I both said at the same time. We made eye contact and a silent bond rippled between us. He nodded and I grinned.

"I like him more now," I said to Levy as I pointed at Gajeel.

"That's good, but seriously...I don't see what's so bad," Levy said.

Gajeel grimaced, "He's a pretty-boy who thinks he can get all the ladies."

"Actually, what's more annoying is that he _can _get all the ladies," I mumbled under my breath.

"You don't like him because he's a player?" Levy asked. I released her head so she could talk normally and readjusted the strap of my bag. I put all my weight on one foot and sagged my shoulders.

"Oh, you heard that?"

"Yeah, I heard it. Is that the only reason why? I haven't even seen him talk to another girl but you…"

"That's so not true. I saw him hitting on Lisanna Strauss during lunch," I said, "They looked _close_."

"Seriously?" Levy asked, leaning forward.

"Well, he _is_ a pretty-boy," Gajeel said with a shrug.

Levy and I nodded, "Pretty-boy."

"What's pretty? Because it's certainly not your attendance record at the student council, Lucy." My heart sank to my stomach. I turned around slowly.

"Erza," I said, taking a step back. Erza had her arms crossed over her chest and was staring at me with killing intent. I blinked, waiting for her to start yelling. Suddenly, Jellal slung his arm over her shoulder and smiled.

"Don't worry, Lucy. She's kidding. You've still got a perfect attendance record! The meeting was cancelled!" he said with a smile. All the tension in my shoulders relaxed and I frowned.

Erza smacked Jellal in the arm, "Seriously? Why'd you ruin it?"

Jellal grinned, "I couldn't stand the look on her face. She looked like you'd shot her through the stomach."

"That could've been great," Erza grumbled.

"That was cruel!" I said, snapping out of my daze.

"But you'll still love me because we're friends," Erza said.

"You're lucky I love you," I said with a small grin. She tapped my shoulder as she and Jellal headed down the hallway.

"I know! Oh, and same to you. It's getting late. You should head home," Erza said. I waved as she disappeared around the corner.

"It's not that late, is it?" I asked no one in particular, checking my phone. My eyes went wide. "Five? How is it five!?"

"Um, Lucy. Calm down. It's only four thirty. Your phone is off again," Levy said. She showed me her screen and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Still, I have _got _to get out of this place," I said, turning to run down the hallway. I paused and turned to the lovebirds, "Remind me to ask Mr. Dreyar about that essay tomorrow! I totally forgot to today!" Gajeel nodded and Levy grinned widely.

"I'll remind you, but you'll just forget again!" She waved me off and I ran down the hallway. Hey, I wasn't going to argue with her. I had so much on my mind that it was all starting to blur together. I was seriously going to have to start writing things down. I doubted that my brain could take much more of this.

I sprinted down the steps outside of the school and hopped onto my bike. My house wasn't too far away, so I would be able to make it there on time. I had about ten minutes left. I'd squeeze in a shower before Gray commenced his usual trespassing. I didn't have to buy dinner tonight because Gray was bringing me some type of sustenance, (though I wasn't sure how appealing the aforementioned food would be).

The ride home felt shorter than usual. When I stepped inside, I let my bag slide off of my shoulder and it landed on the wooden floor with a thunk. That probably wasn't good for my books, but I didn't really care all that much at that particular moment. I slipped off of my shoes and yawned. Man, it'd been a long day.

I rounded the corner and immediately headed for my room. There's something you should know before I tell you about my room. My dad is a pretty wealthy guy, hence his lack of presence in my home and his strict nature. That's why my room was as huge as it was. By 'huge' I mean _huge_. My room was really, really big. That was also the reason why I had my own proportionally giant bathroom with a divine shower. I was extremely grateful for possessing such a shower.

When I got into my bathroom I stripped down and stepped into the water. I could feel the water working out the stress that had formed knots in my muscles throughout the day. My shower was pretty much heaven, to be honest. After a long day, showering off my worries was the best. For a moment, I almost forgot all the things that were troubling me. Almost.

When I finally stepped out of the shower, I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around me. I wrapped another around my now dripping hair. I paused to look at myself in the mirror. I'm not happy to admit this, but I looked tired. Still, I felt like the shower had given me back a bit of my stolen life force. I still needed to get some homework done for my AP courses, so I still had to gather up as much energy as I could. I had no idea how I was supposed to tutor that guy and get my own work done, but I'd have to manage it. And I would. I was tougher than most people gave me credit for, and I wouldn't let this drag me down any further.

I sighed and walked away from the mirror. I pulled the door to my bathroom open. What awaited me on the other side was nothing less than terrifyingly surprising. I jumped backwards and almost fell on the slippery floor. "Damnit, Gray! I could've broken my head open on the floor if I'd slipped, you idiot!" I yelled.

Gray was laughing hysterically like what'd just happened was the most hilarious thing he'd ever seen, "Sorry."

I whipped him on the arm with a nearby towel, "No, you're not!"

"You're right, I'm not. That was priceless. I mean, the look on your face!"

"Jumping out at people right after they shower is your hobby, huh?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"What? I didn't jump out at you! I was just standing there!" he insisted.

"Whatever, Gray. I seriously don't have the patience for this right now. I'm already tired enough, and the day's not over yet," I grumbled. I pushed past him and grabbed some comfortable clothes out of the drawer. I walked back into the bathroom and glared at Gray as I slammed the door. I quickly slipped on my clothes, some sweatpants and a t-shirt, and finished drying off my hair.

I stepped back outside and saw Gray lying on my bed, his arms crossed behind his head. "Comfortable?" I asked, coming to sit beside him.

"Yeah, so what was it you wanted to tell me?" he asked, "The really, _really _horrible thing."

I groaned and plopped down next to him on my bed, "I have to tutor Natsu Dragneel."

Gray bolted upright, "You _what_!?"

"I know, it's bad," I said, curling up into a ball on my bed and resting my head on my knees.

Gray's face was serious, "Say no."

"I can't say no! Mr. Dreyar asked me personally! Do you have any idea how horrified my dad would be if he caught wind of me refusing a request from the Board of Directors themselves!?"

"Of course I do, but this might just be a good enough reason to suffer your dad's wrath," Gray said, "Dragneel is seriously bad news."

"Yeah, well you're not the one who has to 'suffer his wrath,' though."

"So I'm just supposed to stand by and watch as Natsu sexually molests you while you're trying to teach him elementary school level arithmetic?" Gray asked, exasperated.

"Sexually molests!?" I asked, alarmed.

"I saw the way he was looking at you," Gray said, lying down again, "He totally wants you. I don't mean that he likes you. He just wants your body. I'm serious. That's dangerous for a girl like you. Trust me, I'm a guy. I know."

"What does _that _mean?" I said, a little offended and confused.

"What? I'm just saying, you're really hot. No other guy has dared, but Dragneel isn't one of those other guys. He's dangerous."

"Dangerous? And ew, don't say that," I said, grimacing.

"Say what?"

"Y-You know," I said, standing up.

"What? That you're hot? Well, you are, so…"

"It's ten times more creepy when its coming from your mouth, though," said, sitting down at my desk. I caught sight of my phone. A little light was blinking green; I had a voicemail. I picked up the phone.

"That-" I held up my hand to silence Gray as I tapped the screen of my phone. I held it up to my ear. Gray looked annoyed as he waited on my bed.

"I'll been gone for longer than I'd previously expected." It was my dad. "I've sent some additional money, you'll get it soon. Be responsible in my absence." Click.

"Wow, that was really heartwarming," I said, staring at my phone.

"Who was it?" Gray asked, hopping up to come stand near me.

"My dad. He's going to be gone for even longer than I thought," I said, setting the phone down. "'Be responsible in my absence,'" I said, mocking his deep voice.

Gray grinned, "Well, isn't that good? It means you get the house to yourself for a bit longer." I didn't know if it was good or bad. It's not like I missed my dad or anything. I barely even spoke to him when he was home anyway. Still, if what Gray said was true, being home along with Natsu was not a good idea. I made a mental note to myself to change the venue from my house.

"Hmm, I guess," I mumbled.

Gray sighed, "Alright, then. If you really think it's a good idea, you can tutor him. You have to promise to be wary, though. Be suspicious of him at every turn," Gray said, sticking out his pinky. I giggled and took his pinky with mine.

"Should I don full-body armor and wield a sword?" I asked Gray jokingly.

Gray looked serious, "If you must, but I feel that a gun would be more efficient."

I laughed, "I don't think a gun could kill Natsu Dragneel."

Gray nodded in agreement, "Maybe pest repellant would work better."

I smiled, "I wonder what he would say if he knew we were talking about this."

* * *

_~Natsu~_

I let out the biggest sneeze, sending my chair flying backwards. My head slammed against the floor and I groaned. Ugh, someone must've been talking about me. Something was jabbing into my back. I reached behind me and yanked a rubix cube from beneath me, "What the?" Last time I checked, I didn't own a rubix cube.

"Ah, you found it!" said a voice. I looked up to see my little brother standing over me. I raised an eyebrow and handed him the cube.

"Why was this in my room? When were you in here?" I asked.

Romeo just grinned at me, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I thought I told you not to come in here," I said, standing up and rubbing the area where the cube had stabbed me.

"Um, when's dinner?" Ro asked.

I frowned, "I don't know. I've got to get some stuff done." He nodded.

"Well, I'm hungry," he said, "So whenever you're ready, ok?"

I smiled, "Alright, Ro." Romeo ran out the door with his puzzle cube and shut it behind him. I sighed and picked my chair up, rubbing my head. I picked up the pen I'd dropped and set to work. I had to complete these transfer papers soon; otherwise, I'd be kicked out of the school. However much I hated it, school was a necessity. I wouldn't be able to get a good job if I didn't have at least a high school diploma.

Still, school seemed to be looking up recently. Not _everyone _hated me. I mean, I was used to admiration from girls, but that was just empty. There wasn't any real feeling there, and I knew that all too well. That's why I didn't really take any of them seriously; not of them really liked me. As much as I'd like to think otherwise, no one can fall in love at first sight like some of those girls seem to.

There was one girl, though, that openly hated me. I actually found it a bit refreshing. Of course, it was also pretty amusing. The Princess of the high school, lording her power over everyone. It really was pathetic to see the guys so outraged when I said that I'd date her. It's not like I'd _actually _date her. I'd never do something that required too much effort. I had enough on my hands already. I couldn't really tend to a girlfriend's every want and desire. I could barely even take care of my brother, not to mention a needy girl.

I could see a girl like Lucy being extra needy, also. She was definitely rich, anyone could tell that much. I definitely would not mind having her life. It would be easy, that's for sure. I was seriously going to enjoy this tutoring. At least I had that much to look forward to.

* * *

**Tell me what you thought, because I'm dying of curiosity here! :)**


	4. Pink or Black?

**Hey, everybody. Been a while. A couple months to be exact. Yes, I regret not updating…but now I have! I've updated! Yah! Ok, so no tutoring yet. We only get to the part where they're walking home. Still, it's a chapter for you! **** Enjoy. :)**

* * *

_~Lucy~_

I won't lie. I had my hopes up. They were _way _up. I mean a 'higher than the clouds' sort of up. Why? Natsu hadn't showed up yet. It was halfway through first period and I hadn't caught a glimpse of him. If he didn't come to school, it meant that I wouldn't be able to go home with him, and then I wouldn't be able to spend two grueling hours force-feeding him knowledge. _Darn, _(Yes…that was sarcasm you just sensed).

"You're doing it again, Lucy." I flinched under Erza's stare and slowly turned towards her.

"Er, doing what…exactly?" I asked, tapping my pencil on my desk.

"Smiling as though you've got something evil on your mind," Erza replied, keeping her voice low so that Mr. Dreyar wouldn't hear.

"I don't!" I insisted. She stared at me suspiciously, "Does it have to do with Natsu?"

"What?" That one caught me off guard. I wasn't so much thinking of him as I was thinking about being away from him.

"He _is _all that you talk about lately," Erza said, turning back to her notes. I'm pretty sure my eye twitched. I didn't bother arguing with her, though. It would be stupid to keep talking during class. We'd most likely be heard, and I didn't need those rumors circling around the school.

"I'm just happy he's not on the premises," I mumbled, but Erza didn't hear me. She was now fully focused on her work. Apparently she was over watching me smile as though I had something evil on my mind.

Mr. Dreyar was teaching us about the Pythagorean Theorem. It was pretty easy to understand, but he was still very thorough on account of some of the slower kids in our class. He was emphasizing _a__2__ + b__2__ = c__2_when the door slid open. My head immediately slammed against my desk and I let out a lengthy sigh. _Crap_, (No…that was _not_ sarcasm that you sensed).

"Mr. Dreyar," he said, saluting like an idiot. The girls giggled like it was the best thing in the world. I fought the urge to run across the room and push him back out of the door, shut it, and pretend that he wasn't on the other side. My poor hopes. They were so crushed.

"Why are you late, Mr. Dragneel?" Mr. Dreyar asked. He looked intimidating for such a short man, but Natsu didn't flinch.

"I overslept," he said, grinning. _Idiot_.

I looked around the room and saw that most of the girls in the room were staring at him dreamily. It annoyed me. I did, however, see Levy. She was looking directly at me, and her expression said, "I'm so sorry." I just nodded and faced front again.

"Please…detention, detention, detention," I chanted under my breath.

"Sit down, Mr. Dragneel. Mind that it doesn't happen again," Mr. Dreyar said, still clearly annoyed.

"Lucy, ignore him," Gray said, tapping my elbow. I frowned. That's pretty much impossible.

He walked right past me and sat down. He didn't pause to talk to me or anything of the sort. It wasn't at all what I was expecting. I looked to Gray, confused, but he was staring at Natsu. I joined him in staring at Natsu. When Natsu finally finished setting down his bag, he looked up at me. He grinned and winked, but said nothing. It was making me uneasy. I thought he always talked…so why not now? Did something happen? Wait…no. _Stop it, Lucy. He's evil, remember! _

I straightened and turned back towards the front of the class. "Right!" Mr. Dreyar said, clapping his hands together, "Pop quiz! I want to know what percentage of my class pays attention to my lessons!"

There was a chorus of groans from the students sitting around me. I didn't particularly care. Mr. Dreyar's pop quizzes were never too hard. Mr. Dreyar had his tough sides, but he always took mercy on the kids in the end. I looked over and saw Gajeel staring at the quiz that had just been laid out on his desk as if it were his arch nemesis. Levi was happily filling out the answers, as to be expected of the top of our class. Mr. Dreyar put my quiz on my desk, "Good luck, Ms. Heartfilia."

I smiled up at him, "Thank you." It occurred to me at that moment that the player behind me wouldn't be able to pass this quiz: he'd missed the lesson. That just meant more work for me. I'd have to teach him the Pythagorean Theorem in Mr. Dreyar's stead. I shook my head as I turned my full attention to the quiz.

It was just a series of questions on what we'd just learned. As soon as I started question two, Levy raised her hand to signify that she was finished. Some of the other kids in the class groaned, clearly annoyed that Levy had already finished. I just smiled. You think they'd have gotten used to it by now. I was on question five, the last question, when Mr. Dreyar approached me. Well, I _thought_ he was approaching me. In reality, he was walking towards Natsu to collect his quiz.

The blood drained from my face. Natsu, the guy I'd deemed an impossible idiot, had finished before me. He'd even gotten his quiz after I had! No…stop freaking out Lucy. I finished my problem and signed my name. I raised my hand and Mr. Dreyar collected my quiz. He scanned it and then smiled at me before he walked away. Ha! Natsu didn't get a smile! He must've just written random numbers down. There was no way he was going to score above me without even getting the lesson. My pulse calmed at those thoughts and I relaxed in my seat.

I stretched my arms above my head and glanced around the classroom. There were only a few stragglers. Gajeel was one of them, poor guy. Gray tossed a piece of paper onto my desk. I smiled slightly and unfolded it.

_He won't get a high score._

Ah, Gray. You always know what I'm thinking. I picked up my pen and wrote a reply, grinning as I did so. I tossed the paper back to him when Mr. Dreyar collected another quiz so as to be sure that he wasn't looking, (I think the guy's name was Droy…but I'm not 100% sure). Gray smiled when he got my reply. What did I write?

_Just like you! :)_

Gray quickly wrote back and I unfurled the paper as soon as it landed on my desk.

_Ha._

I smiled at him and flashed an 'L' at him with my fingers. He rolled his eyes and nodded. I stifled a laugh and relaxed in my seat. I rolled my head on my shoulders and stretched my legs out. I sighed. Waiting for other people to finish their quizzes was always a tiny bit awkward. A tiny bit. What was a million, billion, trillion times more awkward, though, was what happened next. I don't even like remembering it.

A hand appeared next to my head and dropped a piece of paper. The tiny piece of paper fell _directly _down my shirt. I whirled around and glared at Natsu. He winked and gestured to where the paper had landed. What'd he expect? That I was just going to pluck it right out of there in front of everyone? Nuh, uh. No way.

I raised my hand. Mr. Dreyar came to my desk. I whispered so as not to disturb my suffering classmates, "May I go to the restroom?"

"Be back quickly, please," Mr. Dreyar said with a smile. I stood up and headed for the door. I quickly slid it open and shut it behind me. I walked into the bathroom and shut myself up in one of the stalls. I reached down my shirt and grabbed the paper.

"God, such a jerk," I muttered as I opened the paper.

_Talking about me?_

"God, such a JERK!" I practically yelled. He must've seen Gray and I passing notes. I frowned because we had been talking about him…sort of...a little. I ripped the paper in half and dropped the shreds into the toilet. I flushed it and walked out of my stall.

I froze when I saw that there was someone else in the bathroom. "Who's a jerk?" Juvia asked.

I walked forward, eyeing the door, "No one."

"You'd better not be talking about Gray," she said very quietly.

"I wasn't-"

"Because he's anything but a jerk! He's kind and wonderful and beautiful!" She sighed and spaced out for a few moments. I blinked, waiting for her to return to the present. Suddenly her eyes zeroed in on me. Her face darkened, "And you don't deserve him."

"Whoa!" I said, holding my hands up and backing away towards the door, "So not like that! Childhood friends! That's all! I promise!" I could feel her eyes piercing through my soul as I turned tail and ran out of there. I couldn't help but smile both at her weirdness and my new discovery. This was going to be interesting. Good luck, Gray. You're going to need it.

I was still a bit worried, though. She seemed a little crazy. My stomach twisted a little, but I shook it off. I pulled the door to our class open and walked inside. I sat down quietly in my seat. Gray tapped my shoulder and I looked at him. He shot me a questioning look. He knew that I had an alternate reason for leaving. I just shook my head and mouthed 'later.'

Another note landed on my desk and I glared at it. I slowly reached forward and picked it up. I unfolded the edges and read it.

_So that's a yes?_

Anger boiled inside of me and I turned around. I stared at him for a few moments, getting even more frustrated by his long eyelashes and by the pretty eyes that were staring back at me confidently. I shot him my best 'shut up or I'll murder you when you least expect it' look. He just shrugged and smiled some more. His carefree attitude was seriously frustrating; I don't like people who just coast through life as if nothing matters.

I turned away just as Mr. Dreyar's loud voice interrupted the silence. "Alright, anyone who hasn't already, it's time to turn in your quizzes. I've got a pretty clear idea of who was and who wasn't paying attention."

There were several groans from the kids who had yet to finish and would therefore have unfinished quizzes graded. That's sure to take a serious dent out of their grades.

The rest of the day went relatively normally. The only difference was that I was dreading going home instead of looking forward to it. It felt like Natsu was always staring at me…like he couldn't wait to torment me. I knew he would, too. There was no way a guy like him was going to let this chance slip away. I caught him looking at me during lunch when I was eating with Gray and again during last period. When I finally got to my locker and yanked it open, Natsu was waiting.

"If I didn't know better I'd think you were a stalker," I mumbled.

"If you didn't know better?" he asked, leaning against the lockers beside mine.

"I know you're not a stalker. You're a player and don't settle on one girl for long. Therefore, it's impossible that you're a stalker. I doubt your nature would allow you to follow one person." I gave him an obviously fake smile and switched my shoes.

"You don't know me," he said. I looked up at him at I yanked on my right shoe.

"Yes I do. I've met you before. There are plenty of players out there, and each and every one of them was the same."

He groaned and slammed my locker shut. I jumped, surprised at his angry expression. "Why do you keep saying that?" he asked, looking me directly in the eyes.

I sighed and turned away from him, heading for the door. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me back. "What?!" I demanded.

"Answer me," he said seriously.

"Saying what?" I asked, getting tired of this.

"You keep calling me a player," he said.

I nodded, "Because you are one."

"I'm not."

"You are."

"How am _I _a player?" he asked, still holding my wrist.

"Please," I scoffed, rolling my eyes at him. It pissed him off more.

"Tell me," he said, squeezing my wrist a bit tighter.

"Lisanna Strauss," was all I said before I wrenched my wrist from his grasp and turned towards the door. Natsu caught up with me quickly.

"Wait, that was-"

"You flirting with her and officially classifying yourself as a player," I said as we stepped outside.

"But that was-"

"Are you going to argue with me?" I asked, pausing to look at him.

"Ok, so it was what it looked like, but it's different," he said, switching his bag to the other shoulder.

"How so?" I asked, looking at him.

He didn't say anything, but he looked conflicted. "Riiight," I said, turned away from him. I'd somehow wanted him to give me an excuse, but he didn't…and I found myself disappointed and even more annoyed.

"Whatever. I don't owe you a reason," he mumbled, shuffling along behind me.

"Right…because you flirt with everyone, not just me. I'm just another average member of the female gender that you considered a potential one night stand," I said. I sounded surprisingly venomous.

"That's not true!" Natsu shouted. I froze and stared at him. Everyone around us also looked. I tried to analyze his words, but found myself even more confused than before I'd attempted analysis.

"What does that even mean?" I asked.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground, "Nothing."

"Wha-" I began, but realized I was about to start shouting. I growled and grabbed Natsu's arm. "Come on." I needed to get some place where we could talk without the entire student body watching. I dragged him past the crowd that had gathered and around the corner.

When we were finally out of sight, I spoke up, "Look, I don't know what your deal is…but I would really appreciate if you didn't involve me in it."

"That's sort of impossible since you're my tutor," he pointed out.

I sighed, "I know. I get that, ok? It's just that I already have enough on my plate without you."

"Why am I on your plate?" he asked. He smirked, "Are you going to eat me? I wouldn't mi-"

"There you go again!" I yelled, "Stop it! Why do you do that?"

"I can't help it," he said. I shut up. He was looked straight into my eyes. He seemed serious…honest. It surprised me that he would…or even that he could say that to me.

"Just…don't, ok?" I said.

"Why? Because you have too much on your plate?" he scoffed, "What? Did your hair appointment get cancelled?"

That did it. The anger that had been rising reached the tipping point. I couldn't help it any longer. My body moved on its own. I slapped him directly in the face. "I haven't seen my father in three months. I've got AP courses that I need to deal with and several insanely difficult exams to study for. Every one of my friends is probably going to leave me in the dust because of love. I've got this constant pressure to be perfect…to be the best…the _Princess_. And then I've got you! So please…_please_, don't say that my life is easy."

I took a deep breath after yelling that and practically fell down onto the edge of the sidewalk. That was…humiliating. I just said things to this guy that I didn't even know. I didn't even realize that I was worrying about those things, and yet…I told Natsu. I was really afraid of what he was about to say. I was even more afraid that he would tell other people. Heck, I'd just slapped him in the face and told him my sob story. I was a mess and felt like I was about to start crying. There was this tiny part of me, though, that felt good. A weight had been lifted off my shoulders. A weight I'd been carrying for a long time.

I heard Natsu shift from one foot to the other, completely quiet. He finally stepped forward and sat beside me. "Oh," was all he said. _Oh? _

"Yeah," I mumbled.

"I guess I wasn't expecting that," he said. There was a long silence that was filled by the rustling of the leaves above us and the barking of a dog in someone's yard a long way away.

"Neither was I," I said, "I didn't mean to do that. I'm sort of sorry that I slapped you."

"Sort of?"

"Not that much. You pretty much deserved it. Only a little," I said, looking up at him.

"Well, it's ok," he said. I nodded. He smiled at me, "Sort of."

I whacked his arm, "Hey!"  
"What?" he said, smiling wide, "I was kidding!"

I smiled a little and stood up. I dusted off my skirt and turned to offer him my hand, "Come on. Let's go."

He nodded and took my hand. I started to pull him up and then released my grip. His hand slipped through mine and he fell back to the pavement. I laughed, "Did you really think I was going to help you up!?"

He lay on the ground…not moving. "Natsu?" I questioned. He didn't say anything. I kicked him gently, but he didn't move. "Natsu," I said, a little worried. "Um…are you dead?" I asked, kneeling beside him.

"Black," he said.

"What? Oh my god, are you seeing black?" I asked. I was freaking out and ready to drag him back to the nurse's office. I was an idiot.

"I was expecting pink, but black? You never fail to surprise me, Lucy Heartfilia," he said, sitting up and grinning.

When the meaning of his words sunk in, I growled and punching his arm, "You're such an insatiable pervert!"

"I call that instantaneous revenge," he said, standing up and pointing at me, "You were freaking out."

"I was not," I argued.

"But I never expected you to wear black panties. I had you pegged, _pegged_, for a pink sort of girl."

"You're disgusting," I said, "Never talk to me again." I quickened my pace, but he kept up.

"Don't you remember? I have to talk to you...you're my tutor," he said, ginning wildly.

My heart sank. I was in for the long haul.

* * *

**Review, review, review! Sorry, (again), that it took so long!**


	5. Dreamers

**I'm back! I've ****officially**** started school now, so I may not update as often. I won't drop anything, don't worry, but don't count on consistent or frequent updates. I was sort of rushing, so I didn't really edit it. I just put my thoughts into words so that I could share them with you. It's good practice, right? Anyway, enjoy! :)**

* * *

_~Natsu~_

Whoa. I was _not _expecting that. She'd just…freaked out. From what I'd seen at school, she was always perfectly composed, sociable, and friendly, (well, except for when it concerned me, of course). But, for some reason, she lost it when we were walking together.

She'd pretty much shouted her troubles at me. I just froze up, honestly. I didn't know what to do. As I said, I hadn't been expecting an outburst…especially not from the Princess. I hadn't even…_thought_ about the fact that she might actually have worries in this world. I don't want to admit it, but something stirred in me. I didn't want to embrace the fact that my opinion of the Princess had changed, even the tiniest bit, but there wasn't anything I could do about it. I could lie to myself and say that I still saw her in the same light, but that's stupid.

I awkwardly stood there for a while until I finally sat beside her. _Shit, what do I say? _The girl looked like she was about to start crying. Kissing her crossed my mind. Whenever girls started crying around me, it was usually because I would say no to them. If I kissed them and said goodbye, they'd just stand there in a trance and stop crying. I played out that scenario in my head.

_I leaned forward almost as soon as I sat down and kissed her. She froze immediately and tensed up. I smirked inwardly. It was sort of cute how she didn't know what to do. Before I knew it, though, she'd jerked away and slapped me right in the face. That wasn't so cute…_

_ "What is _wrong_ with you!?" she demanded. She was angry, and for some reason that amused me. Her face was red and she was vigorously wiping at her lips with the sleeve of her uniform. Well…at least she wasn't about to cry. _

I frowned and decided that I didn't need _another_ slap in the face. Well, that was just my imagination; God only knows what she would do in reality if I kissed her. I was momentarily curious and then decided that the probability that she would slap me was much too high for my liking. I wiped the idea from my mind, and said the first thing that came into my head.

"Oh." I grimaced. That wasn't smooth. I should've said something to comfort her, to soften her heart so that she would let me in. I needed her to let me in if she was going to be my "girlfriend."

"Yeah," she said. I blinked. I figured she'd keep yelling at me. Nope. I decided to keep up the conversation.

"I guess I wasn't expecting that," I said. That was true…

As we continued talking, I found that I wanted to cheer her up. I didn't need her crying on me…I hadn't even gotten to her house yet, the fun part. We ended up messing with each other. She freaking dropped me on my ass…but I got revenge. But seriously…black? Sexy, Princess. Sexy.

"Never talk to me again," she hugged. She turned tail and walked away and I watched for a moment as her blond hair swayed with each step. I grinned and caught up to her.

"Don't you remember? I have to talk to you...you're my tutor," I said proudly. Her face and shoulder sank. She glared at me.

"It's hard to forget, what with you stalking me," she mumbled.

"Stalking?" I asked, "I thought we'd decided I _wasn't _a stalker."

"I changed my mind," she snapped.

"So I'm not a player any more?" I asked.

"No," she said, looking at me. I blinked. Huh? Not a player? I was a little happy, for some reason. I found her interesting. I wanted her to know that, I guess.

"You're both," she said smugly as if dropping the punch line of a joke. I mentally punched myself. _You idiot. There's no way she doesn't see you as a player…you _are _one. _That surprised me. Since when did I think of myself as a player? I just…lived life, I guess. Or…that's what I thought up until that second.

I stopped walking, "That's contradictory."

"What is?" Lucy asked.

"Me being a player and a stalker," I said. _Yeah, it is contradictory, Natsu. What the hell are you doing? _I ignored the devil on my shoulder for a moment.

Lucy stared at me, "I know." I guess she'd heard the sincerity in my tone, because her answer wasn't accusatory or joking.

I frowned and walked past her. She stared at me as I walked past her. I flashed her a fake smile, "I guess I'm just a walking paradox."

"What's up with you?" she asked. I stopped walking when I realized she wasn't following me. I turned to look at her, confused.

"What?" I asked.

"You're…" Her voice trailed off. She looked like she was trying to find her words. She kept opening her mouth and closing it, so I thought I might as well give her the words she was looking for. I strode towards her, popping her personal bubble.

"Devilishly handsome? Jaw-droppingly gorgeous? So sexy it hurts?" I offered. She glared up and me and I smirked down at her.

"Infuriatingly bipolar," is what she said. Way to keep it interesting.

* * *

_~Lucy~_

I whipped out my keys and unlocked the door. I heard the familiar click and realized something almost immediately. I wasn't _completely _dreading entering my house. I guess I always hated the loneliness I felt when I was inside, (well, except for when Gray literally jumped through my window). I hate to admit it, but I had Natsu to thank for that.

On one hand I was grateful that the only thing welcoming me home was loneliness because of him, but on the other I was annoyed because he wouldn't stop aggravating me. He kept asking me questions—questions he _knew _I wasn't going to answer—and…being Natsu.

"You should wear lace," he said, nodding as I swung the door open.

"Stop talking or I'll throat-punch you," I said casually.

He stared at me for a moment and then grinned, "You wouldn't do that."

I scoffed, "Yeah. Yeah, I _definitely_, would." He just shrugged and stepped inside.

"Holy shit, Princess!" he practically yelled. His voice echoed.

"Yeah, I know," I sighed.

"It looked big and fancy on the outside, but it looks even bigger on the inside!" he said, dropping his bag and racing into the living room like a little kid. I sighed and followed him.

When I got to the living room, he was already reclined on my couch. I groaned, "What are you _doing_?"

"You have a seriously huge TV," he said, staring at it wide-eyed, "I'm jealous."

"I hardly even use it," I said, flopping onto the love seat.

He bolted upright, "Whaaaaaaat?"

"What…what?" I asked.

"If I had a TV like that one," he said, pointing at it, "I would spend as much time as I could watching it. It's fucking awesome."

"Thanks…I think," I said quietly.

"Actually, your whole house is awesome," he corrected, "I would kill to live here; not actually, but…"

I sighed, "Well, it's not all its cracked up to be."

"Right, because of your dad," he said.

I stiffened. I still hated myself for letting him know all of my weaknesses. I'd practically shown my enemy the gap in my armor. Actually, that was exactly what I'd done.

"Sorry." I looked up, surprised. "I guess you don't want to talk about that, huh? Whatever," he said. He sat up and stared at me.

"Did you finally figure that out after asking me about it several times to no avail?" I asked.

He frowned and didn't say anything. I sighed and looked at my TV and then back at him. We were quiet for a while. "It is pretty cool, though," I said.

He looked at me and then grinned, "Ok, so when are we starting this tutoring thing?" Apparently I'd appeased him, but how long would that last? How long would it be before he started prying for more about things I didn't mean to reveal to him in the first place?

"Upstairs," I said, pointing to the ceiling. "Come on." I pulled myself to my feet and watched Natsu do the same. He seemed almost as tired as I was...or maybe even more tired. He'd lost most of his energy as soon as he lay down on my couch. I'd honestly been expecting him to launch off the couch…

"Are you tired?" I asked as he followed me into the next room.

"No," he said. I knew he was lying because he said that through a yawn. He stretched his arms above his head and I caught a quick glimpse of what was underneath his shirt: perfectly formed abs. I felt my ears warm up. I quickly hid them behind my hair. I let out a tiny sigh of relief when I realized that he hadn't noticed.

I turned away from him and ran up the stairs two at a time. I didn't need him staring at my butt like the perve he was as I walked up the stairs. If he was going to get an eyeful, it wasn't going to be a long one. I waited for him at the top of the stairs, my hand on my hip.

He rubbed his eye like a sleepy child, "Why the rush? Jeez."

"No reason," I said, twisting around on one heel and clasping my hands behind my back. I didn't hear his footsteps behind me. I stopped, sighed, and turned to him again.

"Why aren't you following me?" I asked.

"You look like her," he said. He was staring at a portrait of our family before I lost my mom. He looked at me and smiled. My heart twinged a little. I'd heard people say I looked like my mother before, and I was proud of it.

I smiled a little, "I know."

"I guess we're similar in more ways than I thought possible," he said with a smirk.

"Hm?" I asked as I turned to open the door to my room.

"My mom's gone, too. She died when I was ten. My dad left us a little while after that," he said. I froze. His voice sounded a bit wounded when he said that. I couldn't detect that in his next words. "Your room?" he asked.

I frowned and turned to look him in the eye. I didn't see anything there either. I'd missed whatever had just happened. I'd missed his tiny opening. Still, knowing that he had one made all the difference. I smiled at him and he looked surprised.

"Yep, my room," I said. With that I swung the door open and stepped inside. "Welcome to my heaven," I said lightly.

"Oh man, I could get used to this," he said, walking inside. He brushed my arm slightly as he walked past me and I felt his warmth for a moment. I immediately flinched away. Again, he didn't notice. Again, I was relieved.

"Shit, this bed is the size of my house," he said, grinning at me widely.

"Don't think about lying down on it," I said, "Or I will cut off-"

"I wasn't going to," he said, "Here?" My eyes followed him as he moved to sit down at the table I had my stuff for tutoring him set up on. He sat down and made himself comfortable. I stayed where I stood.

He looked up at me, "I can't tutor myself." I stared at him for a moment before something caught my eye. I'm not sure how I hadn't noticed it earlier, but there was something on my bed. I strolled over to it and cracked a smile as soon as I saw what it was. I picked up the note. Familiar messy writing stared up at me.

_If this doesn't work, try the sword._

_-G_

I laughed. I couldn't help it. Gray was always my pick-me-up. "Why do you have pest repellant?" Natsu asked, leaning over my shoulder. I elbowed him.

"Back off," I said and then smiled again, "It's a gift."

"What kind of weirdo gives a girl pest repellant?" Natsu scoffed. I frowned.

"Whatever," I mumbled, "Sit down again."

He smirked, "And why are you so happy about it? I'd take that as an insult."

"You don't know anything about it, so drop it. Sit down," I growled. He looked disappointed.

"Then teach me about it," he said, leaning closer to me, "Isn't that what I'm here for?" He was practically pressed up against me.

"Please sit down, Natsu," I said, "I really don't want to tell you." I wanted to remain rational for at least a little while before he pushes me too far and I slap him again. We didn't need any more slapping today.

He sighed and plopped down at the table. He rested his head on his arms and sighed again. I sat down across from him. "One of these days I'll break through that wall of yours," he mumbled, staring at me.

"Good luck with that," I said, "Now can we focus?"

"I think you're just scared," he said quietly. I'd resorted to ignoring him. I'm sure if I hadn't, his words would have resounded more. Was I really scared? I'm not sure. I turned to my bag and pulled out my notes, the ones I would use to teach him. I had to get it over with, so I might as well do it now.

When I turned back, his face was hidden behind his arms, his head resting on the table. "Natsu, come on," I said. He didn't respond. "You're seriously ignoring me?" I drawled.

Still no answer. Well, I knew he wasn't dead. I wasn't making the 'seeing black' mistake again. He was healthy, so I knew he hadn't gone to heaven. Well, he was more likely to end up in hell. "Natsu?" I asked, leaning forward. I crawled around the table and it dawned on me.

"Natsu?" I whispered next to his head. His head shifted and his face was no longer hidden behind his arms. His eyes were closed. "Seriously?" I hissed. He was 100% unconscious. I then shut up, knowing that, if he slept, I wouldn't have to teach him. It was honestly a relief.

I sat down next to him, not worried that he was going to try to cop a feel in his sleep. I'd heard Gray's warning loud and clear. So far, though, he hadn't seemed to try anything that set off red flags, (I mean, other than the underwear incident). Maybe I wouldn't need that pest repellant after all.

I ended up staring down at him, wondering whether or not he was really what he initially seemed to be. He'd come across as a soulless player. At least, that's how I saw him. The other girls seemed to have a different opinion. I'd seen a little of him today that didn't seem the same as usual. Had I imagined the change in his tone earlier, or did it really happen? I had a lot of questions that I couldn't ask him because he was unconscious.

I lay my head down on the table, suddenly feeling mentally exhausted. This guy had that effect on me. It was going to take some getting used to. I stared at him for a long time, just sitting next to him. He didn't look like a player in his sleep. He looked almost innocent. I knew otherwise, of course, but he was sort of cute this way. I wish he could always be sleeping. Maybe I wouldn't dislike him so much that way. It's not like I could change his nature; no matter how much I'd like to think otherwise, people tend to stay the same.

Natsu's eyes briefly fluttered and I couldn't help but wonder what he was dreaming about. What was going on in his perverted head? His lip twitched and he sighed. I grinned. He was even more of a weirdo when he was asleep. I figured that maybe, if I stared at him long enough, I would start to convince myself that he wasn't as horrible a person as he was. That he wasn't a player who messes with people's feelings. Everyone has to wake up sometime or another.

* * *

**Ok, so not ultra-fluffy this chapter, but we're getting there. The next one, which I hope you're looking forward to, will be awesome, (when I post it, that is...whenever that happens). Leave me a review! **


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